Webinar - Writing For The Christian Market

I invite you to check out this upcoming webinar. Writing For The Christian Market. June 6, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. CST. Details may be found on the SCBWI website.

Write Today and Every Day

Original photo by @kaitlynbaker at
unsplash.com

Today is a good day to write. In fact, every day is a good day to write. So many interesting things happen in life that we should not find it too difficult to pen a few words about something. Don't forget to take a second glance at the seemingly mundane things, too. As humans, we often take them for granted, but they can be just the trigger a writer needs for the next great poem, short story, novel, or nonfiction book. 

What did the dog do this morning that was out of character? Did you fish the cat out of the koi pond? How long did your spouse spend looking for their misplaced glasses, only to realize they had pushed them up on top of their head and forgotten they were there? Did someone ask you an unusual question today? 

Writing every day is a good discipline to develop, even if you're just jotting down poem and story ideas in a journal - take a few minutes to write out a synopsis of the idea, and don't forget to include those sensory inputs - sight, sound, smell, touch. First impressions matter. You'll need those later when you take the idea further.

Be sure to come back and review your journal entries, whether you hand write them in a notebook you carry with you, tap them out into a note-taking app on your phone, record a digital message, or make an entry into an electronic document on your computer.  OneNote is an excellent program for keeping a journal, but a simple Word document or Excel document will work as well. They are easily searchable and tabled data allows you to organize by a category you set.  If you can't stop to make a physical note, carry a digital recorder with you. You can replay your recorded message later and transcribe it into your written or electronic journal. 

Be sure to write today, and every day.

Next Writer's Meeting

November Meeting Cancelled

Due to the weather, we have cancelled our November writer's meeting. Please check back here for the next scheduled meeting.

Meeting September 25, 2018 7:00 p.m.

God's Protection Covers Me by Amy Houts

 A new book by Amy Houts. We want to congratulate Amy on this new achievement and we wish her success with this book. 

From Amy Houts on Facebook - July 16, 2018 - "Today is the day! Cover reveal of my upcoming picture #book from #BeamingBooksMN GOD’S PROTECTION COVERS ME. Precious artwork by David Creighton-Pester's. Preorders begin soon!
 #CoverReveal #ChristianBooks#kidlit"

Bob Bohlken - Stairway of Stars

Chapter Member Robert Bohlken was added to the Stairway of Stars as the Nodaway County Historical Society this last week. It is fitting that he should be included there. His contributions to the county are numbers. He is a:

A veteran
A 60-Year Member of the American Legion
A Longtime Member of the Optimist Club
Professor Emeritus from Northwest Missouri State University
A Published Author . . . and the list goes on.

Congratulations, Bob. We're proud that you have so long been a member of the Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writer's Guild, as well.

The Next Meeting

The Maryville writer's group will next meet on January 23, 2018, on the 3rd floor of the United Methodist Church, First and Main in Maryville. (Use the northwest doors to access the elevator.)

The evening will be open for the critique of members' works in progress. Members may bring a poem, essay, article, or book excerpt for comment. The length of the submission should be 1,000 words or less. We will make an effort to get through as many as possible in the allotted time. If you wish to submit them ahead of time to give members a chance to read and think about them, please do. That will allow more time for discussion during the meeting time.

When critiquing a work, here are a few things to consider:

1. Be objective and forthright, but considerate.
2. Provide constructive suggestions for improvement.
3. Think about the construction, flow, technical aspects of the work being considered.
4. Give input on any emotions, if any, the piece elicits.
5. Is there a working title and does it fit the work?
6. Did it hold your attentions?
7. Based on the provided sample, would you read more?
8. Are there any word choices or phrases that might be improved?

Resources for Authors

Finding good research materials when writing historical fiction can be a challenge, depending on how far back your story is set. It's important to remember that the voices and experiences of those old settlers are not all together lost.
National, state, and county documents, letters, photographs, newspapers, and other items are being carefully preserved by agencies and historical societies, like our own Nodaway County Historical Society and the The State Historical Society of Missouri, as well as the US National Archives, The Library of Congress, National Park Service, and thousands of museums and libraries, and other online databases.
Google Books and Internet Archive are great places to read digitized books and publications, even those printed hundreds of years ago. I recently downloaded to my computer a few digitized books from the 1700s and 1800s. It's nice to have these keyword-searchable texts, and it's just plain fun to read them. They can help with character development, help focus an author's attention on the details of day-to-day life, and even provide authors with a more accurate perspective on the attitudes and politics and social norms of a given period.
So, if you're looking to pack some historical fact and detail into your next work of historical fiction, don't forget these resources. And, if you're writing nonfiction, you can't live without them.

#amwriting #fiction #nonfiction #books #readers #history #historical #database #Missouri #UnitedStates #Archives #journalism #newspapers

Author's Directory at the Missouri Center for the Book

If you have been published through a "traditional" path to publication, and received payment for your work through that publisher, then you may be eligible to be listed in the Author's Directory at the Missouri Center for the book at http://books.missouri.org/Author.

Quoted from their site: "NOTE: The Missouri Center for the Book encourages all writers to pursue their muse. However, the designation "Author" connotes a category of achievement validated by the acknowledgment ...

See More

Authors Directory | Missouri Center for the Book

This database contains information about authors who live in Missouri. You can find out about their publications, the genre and audience they write for, whether they accept speaking engagements, and…

BOOKS.MISSOURI.ORG

Doug Meyer to Speak at Next Meeting

The Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writer's Guild will next meet on the Third Floor of the United Methodist Church  in Maryville, on June 27, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.

The featured speaker for that evening will be Doug Meyer, the owner of Meyer Auto Center in Maryville. Mr. Meyer is the author of "Selling in Your Town," published by Archway Publishers, a division of Simon & Schuster, in August of 2016. He will be speaking about his book and about his experiences of publishing through Archway.  

Mr. Meyer owns and operates several small businesses located in rural communities across three states and has a breadth of knowledge related to the art of selling in those communities, as well as the importance of community involvement and networking. Mr. Meyer contends that it is possible for small businesses in rural communities to compete in the larger marketplace.

These are all issues that translate into the book industry, whether operating a brick-and-mortar shop or a virtual online sales venue. We hope that you will join us for this next meeting.

You can read more about his book on Amazon.com. Mr. Meyer's book is available for $3.99 Kindle and $8.99 in paperback through the site. 

Amy Houts Featured on KQ2

Author Amy Houts was recently interviewed by KQ2 television of St. Joseph. In her interview, Amy talks about what encouraged her toward a life of writing, and now publishing. She released her first cooperative board game titled Find My Heart, in May of 2016. She has her own publishing imprint, Houts & Home Publications, LLC., and her own website, Houts & Home. Take a moment to watch her interview and read the article. You can find her books available on her website and on Amazon.

Blooming with Books Silent Bid Fundraiser

 

Amy Houts Featured in Daily Forum Article

A very nice article recently appeared in the Maryville Daily Forum about member author Amy Houts. Take a few moments to peruse it. What a talented and creative author.

Don't Forget the Marketing

There are many ways that indie authors can market their books today, reaching out to hundreds of millions of potential readers with a small investment of cash, as little as $10 in some cases, and some requiring $100 minimum or more. It depends on how prominent you want your ad to be and how long you want it to run. Per-click ads on sites like those noted below are the best marketing friend an indie author can have.

If you've been wondering what options are available to you, in addition to those trusted standards like magazines and newspapers, you may want to consider online ad campaigns on sites like Goodreads, and on social media sites like Facebook. There are also high-impact options like Google Ad Words that can get your books in front of hundreds of millions of people. And don't forget to talk to your local newspaper about an online ad for their website. They may cost a bit more, but they are key to reaching local as well as more distant readers.

Check into advertising on sites and in groups that are focused on your target audience. Most sites offering advertising options will permit you to select your daily budget amount, the price to be deducted from your prepaid advertising budget amount, and the duration you want your ad to run. And, most sites providing paid advertising options also provide data that can help you target your future ads more effectively. And, you may want to approach other indie authors and consider swapping linked ads on their space for placing an ad for their book(s) on yours.

And, most importantly, don't forget to put ads for your books on your own website and link those book covers back to where those books can be purchased, i.e., your Createspace e-store, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, etc.


Here are a few articles that will provide some insights into online advertising. Remember, producing the book is only one part of a successful outcome in the whole writing + publishing equation.


Publishers Weekly Articles
Google Ads 101: A Guide for Indie Authors
Facebook Ads: A Guide for Indie Authors
Goodreads Ads for Indie Authors

Bookworks.com
Targeted Book Advertising Strategies for Indie Authors

Regardless of what means you choose for advertising your books, it's important to do your homework, and don't feel locked in to just one site. Spread the word about your book by doing ad campaigns on a variety of sites. You'll be surprised what increased sales you may see from a very small initial investment.


Happy advertising - Susan.

KDP to Offer Paperback Publishing for Authors

(The opinions stated herein are my own, personally, and don't necessarily reflect those of every author within our writing group. Just thought some of our authors might be interested in knowing this little piece of information. Happy reading.)

Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), the e-book arm of Amazon's publishing services, has begun offering KDP authors the opportunity to print paperback copies of their e-books from within the KDP website. The program is in beta testing right now. However, under this beta system, authors will not yet able to purchase author wholesale copies, print proof copies, nor can they opt-in for expanded distribution to libraries, universities, and direct-to-retailer sales. The one significant change, beyond not having to copy files back into Createspace in order to publish in print, is that the Japanese market, unavailable to Createspace  authors in the distribution settings, will be accessible through KDP print.

KDP indicates on their information page about this new opportunity that it will eventually be adding the features presently available in Createspace  to the KDP menu of choices. The intention behind this change seems to be to streamline the overall print and e-book publishing process for authors.

Presently, Createspace  authors publish their print copies at Createspace , order their author copies, and have access to expanded distribution channels. Libraries, universities, and retailers have the option of purchasing directly from Createspace . Once the Createspace book is approved and published, authors can opt-in to have their book file transferred to KDP in order to publish it in e-book form. They then then have to go to the KDP site and finalize the transfer by reviewing the electronic proof, setting their publishing choices, and approving it for final release. It's one extra step in the publishing process, but so far it seems to work relatively flawlessly.

The new opportunity to publish print copies and e-books in one location would eliminate that one extra step in the total publishing process, potentially saving authors times, and reducing redundant selections in the distribution end of things.

According to the KDP site, authors can transfer their present Createspace  titles over to KDP now without negatively affecting their Createspace titles already available to the buying market. Authors then would have the option of making those KDP print copies available in the Japanese market. A huge benefit, to be sure.

Authors should explore this new option carefully before transferring. There is information available at the KDP site and it should be read and considered. KDP authors who still want to purchase wholesale copies of their titles for resale locally or consignment to local stores, or who want to ensure their print copies are accessible directly to libraries, universities, and retailers will still need to go the Createspace  route, too. However, for KDP e-book authors who haven't, in the past, been able to offer the option of print copies without going through Createspace , this is a terrific opportunity to tap into the die-hard print readers without having to transfer anything.

Definitely a new opportunity skipping down the publishing path and worthy of consideration. Streamlining functions is, for the most part, a good idea. Less time on the technical end means more time writing.

Died Innocent - The New Novel by Don Nothstine

Author and Maryville chapter member, Don Nothstine, has published his first novel, Died Innocent. 

It is presently available through  Amazon and through his publisher, Amazing Things Press of St. Joseph.  


Congratulations, Don, on this terrific achievement.

Amazing Things Press is hosting a book launch to introduce the works of its authors on November 12, 2016 from 1-4. More information may be found in the invitation pictured below. 

Melinda Cordell -- Speaker -- November 29, 2016

The Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writer's Guild will meet at 7 p.m. at the Alumni House on the south side of the Northwest Missouri State University campus. Our guest speaker for the meeting will be Melinda Cordell.

Melinda's first book, Courageous Women of the Civil War: Soldiers, Spies, Medics, and More, ($19.99 MG/YA nonfiction, was released by Chicago Review Press in 2016.

Since that time, Ms. Cordell has published two additional books. The first is titled

Angel in the Whirlwind, released on Amazon on September 2, 2016. It is a YA/NA short story collection about loneliness and change, and the angel in the middle of it all, waiting to guide you to a better life. 

Ms. Cordell's third book is titled Don't Throw in the Trowel! A Month-by-Month Guide to Vegetable Gardening. It was released in October of 2016. 

(From the author) This is the first book in my Easygrowing Garden Series. I used to be the gardening columnist for the St. Joseph News-Press, and the municipal horticulturist for the St. Joseph Parks and Rec department, so I might know a thing or two about gardening. The next books will be about roses, annuals and perennials, trees and shrubs, houseplants, soil building, and maybe growing with native species.We are pleased to have Melinda Cordell joining us for the November meeting. We hope you will come out and hear what she has to say.

Upcoming Writer's Meeting

The Maryville Chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild will meet at 7:00 p.m. September 27, 2016, at the Alumni House. Hostess Irene Alexander has invited Diane Goold, author of the books "Diane's Daily Devotions" and "Treasured Words of God," to speak at our meeting. Come to hear not only how Diane wrote the books, keeps up with a daily blog, and writes the "Newspaper in Education" column for the St. Joseph News Press, but also about her marketing plan. Diane has a history of high sales of her books. Irene will also discuss how you can write for "Young at Heart," a section of the St. Joseph News Press, where she has been published many times. Hope to see you there! See Diane's bio, following.

Irene Alexander Releases Sixth Book

Author and Maryville Chapter member Irene Alexander has released her sixth book, The New Student. It is her first bilingual book. Congratulations Irene. Keep penning those books!

An author page will be added to the blog shortly, but until then, you can learn more about Irene and her literary works at her author page on Amazon.

Here's the link to the most recent press about Irene and her books.